Shabab Al-Ahli defeated Ajman 3-1 in a match postponed from the 10th round of the ADNOC Pro League, held yesterday at Rashid Stadium in Dubai. With this victory, Shabab Al-Ahli's points tally reached 29, placing them just one point behind league leaders Al-Ain with one round left in the first phase. Meanwhile, Ajman, who suffered their third consecutive defeat, remain on 13 points in ninth place. The first half saw Shabab Al-Ahli in clear control, opening the scoring in the 23rd minute through a brilliant dribble and powerful strike from Matheus Silva. Bala doubled the lead in the 30th minute with a successful follow-up from a cross. However, Ajman managed to pull one back before halftime through a goal by Walid Azaro, making the score 2-1 at the break. In the second half, Shabab Al-Ahli continued to dominate, and Sultan Adel scored the third goal after the ball rebounded off the Ajman goalkeeper, leaving him with a simple tap-in to make it 3-1. Shabab Al-Ahli's head coach, Paulo Sousa, stated that his team continued to put in a strong performance following the win over Ajman. He emphasized that the club's winning culture continues and the goal is to be crowned league champions. Sousa added: "We had a magnificent first half, playing beautiful football and were capable of scoring more than one goal. Everything we trained for, we successfully applied on the field. The continuation of victories reflects the team's personality and the winning culture we are working to build." He continued: "I am happy and proud of what the players are delivering. The match was tough against an Ajman team that has good elements and plays competitive football, and they were a real rival, but our players handled the game the right way and created many opportunities." The Al-Ahli coach explained: "Since I took charge of the team, there has been only one objective: to win trophies. Our constant goal is to win every match and compete strongly for the top spot in the league." He concluded: "Being close to the top of the table is natural for a team that always plays to win."
